calf sucking wrong cows

[John IN]

Hi all, that little 6 week old Angus calf I have is sucking other cows that are getting ready to calf in about 2 to 3 weeks. My question is, is that calf going to rob the unborn calves of their colostrum? He is hitting on one pretty hard.

 

[la4angus]

Seperate them!!!!!!!!

 

[Double R Ranch]

I agree with la4angus! SEPERATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[TexasCountryWoman]

The pregnant cow should produce colustrum based on her own hormones after she gives birth. But separating would be preferable if you can do it. It is not unheard of for calves to go from cow to cow. My calves have done such as that before and I have had no bad out comes. You could always call your vet for specifics about the colostrum. I had a heifer that squirted vast quantities of milk for 10 days before calving and I was concerned about that as it was soaking her legs and tail. Then I found out that neighboring cows were doing it because we had such a lush spring that the cows were just all gushing. It must have been colostrum they were all squirting. I was the talk of the countryside, the higher than average number of squirty pregnant beef cows.

 

[dun]

Seperate them and plan on giving the calves from the sucked cows some cholostrum. You can use the packaged dry stuff, or get some from another cow. Usually dairys have extra frozen cholstrum but you need to be careful of what kind of disease the dairy may have. Johnnes is fairly common in some areas, you sure don;t want to introduce that.
It takes a cow several weeks to amonth or so to produce enough chlostruem. Older cows will have a larger wuantity and you can usually after the first day milk them out and freeze that. It isn't as high of quality as the first day, but it beats nothing.
You also need to stay alert for severe edema and or mastitis when they calve.

dun

 

[John IN]

What is the best way to feed a new born calf cholostrum? I have been doing some reading but what so you all do? I can separate calf and mother.

 

[Texan]

What is the best way to feed a new born calf cholostrum? I have been doing some reading but what so you all do? I can separate calf and mother.

The best way is for the cow and calf to do it without you. Next best would be to help the calf get it. Next best is for you to milk the cow and bottle feed the calf.

However you do it, the sooner the better. We like to do ours within four or five hours at the latest. And that is really too long. Two hours after the calf is up would be a lot better.

 

[Michelle Pankonien]

The best way is using an esophageal feeding tube, but I do this and have had lots of practice,

Many people prefer feeding with a bottle, it takes time, and is a pain in the butt

If calves are stealing from cows that have calves already on them it is fine, but if they are stealing from a female that has yet to give birth to her new calf, they are robbing the new calf of its collostrum which the cow does not regenerate, and her calf will have a weakend immune syst. unless suppliment is provided

Keep them separated for a while,

Does this calf's mother not have enough milk?

I would stick to dry product before ever trying dairy, way to risky

There are lots on the market now, there is even a dry IGG product, but to my understanding it comes from plasma from dairy cattle, again with the risk of speading disease, but I don't know if the organism that spreads Jones is viable after the process, I need to look into this more

 

[certherfbeef]

My vet told me that once you use the dry colostrum the calf will not absorb any of the colostrum from the cow. So make sure the baby gets a little from mamma before using the dry stuff.

 

[John IN]

She has enough milk. Called my vet and he told me that the colostrum would be replaced after I get them separated. Vet also told me to keep an eye on new calf after birth and call back if need be. Any way that cow's calf was born yesterday the 29th. He did not suck till almost 6 hours after birth. Now when should I be able to tell if he got enough colostrum? When should he start scouring if he did not get enough? He is around 32 hours old now is jumping and bucking a little.

 

[dun]

She has enough milk. Called my vet and he told me that the colostrum would be replaced after I get them separated. Vet also told me to keep an eye on new calf after birth and call back if need be. Any way that cow's calf was born yesterday the 29th. He did not suck till almost 6 hours after birth. Now when should I be able to tell if he got enough colostrum? When should he start scouring if he did not get enough? He is around 32 hours old now is jumping and bucking a little.

You probably won't know for several weeks if he got enough or it could be as soon as a couple of days. Scouring isn't the problem, it's exposure to things that he didn't get adequate passive immunity passed via the chlostorum. Make sure he keeps nursing and that he has passed his first very sticky bowl movement. If he didn't get enough there isn't much you can do about it. Just keep an eye on him and assume(hope) that all is well.

dun

 

[Beefy]

buckign is a good sign.

 

[Ellie May]

Howdy,
Yeah we've had that happen don't worry about it unless cow is fixing to calf. Then seperate them. We have a cow about 20 years old no teeth but still produces the best calf in the pasture. The problem is she pops them out so fast we are always worried about the calf she has drinking to much so we have to wean her calf early every time.
Ellie May